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what is the difference between a damper motor and blower motor and their functions?
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Posted 2013-07-21T19:27:12+0000  by lavinnie lavinnie
 

The blower motor moves air around you house.  Runs with both heat and air conditioning.  The "damper" motor (sometimes called inducers) helps moves air up the chimney so that dangerous exhaust gases don't enter the house.  Furnances with damper motors usually have sensors to ensure it's functioning properly before the burner will light.
Posted 2013-07-22T03:56:00+0000  by Adam444
Thank you for your feedback! I guess I should have mentioned I live in a mobile home and my furnace is set up different from a home. The blower is probably the same but the damper motor may function differently since there's no chimney....from my understanding--it allows air to flow in & out depending on the temperature in the home, which in my case doesn't seem to be working! :-(
Posted 2013-07-22T04:22:09+0000  by lavinnie
Thank you for your feedback! I guess I should have mentioned I live in a mobile home and my furnace is set up different from a home. The blower is probably the same but the damper motor may function differently since there's no chimney....from my understanding--it allows air to flow in & out depending on the temperature in the home, which in my case doesn't seem to be working! :-(
Posted 2013-07-22T04:30:43+0000  by lavinnie

I don't know anything about mobile homes but I'd suspect the draft motor helps move combusion air in and out of the furnance.  Combusion air is the air used to burn the fuel (natural gas, propane) and after the fuel burns contains harmful compounds like carbon monoxide.  I'd also suspect that there is a sensor of some sort that ensures that blower in functioning properly before the burners will light.

 

As for troubleshooting, that would very much depend on your skill level and the tools you have available (or are willing to purchase).  Furnances aren't the most complicated things in the world but do require an understanding of basic electrical testing and mechanical skills to disassemble the unit partly.

 

 
Posted 2013-07-22T14:33:47+0000  by Adam444
Thanks again for your response! I did however have a contractor diagnose the problem--I'm trying to get an idea how much it will cost to get repaired! I'm doing my research first to be sure I'm not getting ripped off; I think it's going to be costly though....
Posted 2013-07-22T16:48:55+0000  by lavinnie
Just to be clear, a damper motor opens and closes dampers in the duct work to either direct air into a room or not.  They are many times used in zoned installations.  A damper motor is entirely different than the draft inducer motor found on the front of a gas furnace.  A draft inducer motor establishes exhaust flow before ignition and keeps the cooler exhaust moving out the vent.  The cooler exhaust gases in today's higher efficiency furnaces is too cool to naturally rise through the flue vent. 
Posted 2015-02-06T23:50:25+0000  by TomB2
 
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